One of the most remarkable submissions to <a href="http://concursoportoolimpico.com.br/website/" target="_blank">Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Port competition</a>, this terraced proposal by <a href="http://jdsa.eu/" target="_blank">JDS Architects</a> and <a href="http://nearquitetura.com/" target="_blank">NE Arquitetura</a> caught our attention with its amazing array of nearly one thousand green roofs. Seeking to redefine how neighborhoods are conceived and taking inspiration from natural terraced cliffs, JDS and NE Arquitetura developed a cluster of residential towers surrounded by public parks and outfitted with thousands of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/green-roofs">green roofs</a>. Surrounded and immersed in lush green spaces, their proposal is a stunning hybrid of the urban and natural world.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Thousands of green roofs and large public parks could dramatically alter downtown Rio.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

A lush green landscape is designed to encourage a new social life in Rio.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

The proposed site for the Olympic Port occupies a number of large downtown blocks near the harbor of Rio de Janeiro.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

The project team sought with their proposal to create a new identity for the downtown area.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Rotating the towers on their site allows for greater views.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

The development would consist of a number of residential towers, office towers, a convention and expo center and hotels.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

The buildings are extruded in grids up from the ground level to create terraces.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Parks would completely surround each building.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Rather than focussing all the aesthetics and design on the interior, this project looks to the exterior as well by incorporating terraced green roofs on the towers.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Although the interior layouts of the apartments is certainly important, the project is defined by a thousand parks, balconies, and plateau’s of life and vitality.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

The public parks and private terraces are used to encourage a social life in the city. At the same time the terraced effect of the residential towers steps back the building and helps them feel less massive, although they are still quite dense.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

Inspiration for the design came from towns like Santorini, where the cliff sides feature natural terraces and integrate shops, cafes and housing all in the vertical space.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

JDS and NE Arquitetura hoped that their proposal would be able to bridge the gap between more natural spaces and the urban environment.

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Rio Olympic Port-JDS

One of the most remarkable submissions to Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Port competition, this terraced proposal by JDS Architects and NE Arquitetura caught our attention with its amazing array of nearly one thousand green roofs. Seeking to redefine how neighborhoods are conceived and taking inspiration from natural terraced cliffs, JDS and NE Arquitetura developed a cluster of residential towers surrounded by public parks and outfitted with thousands of green roofs. Surrounded and immersed in lush green spaces, their proposal is a stunning hybrid of the urban and natural world.